Many mining and earthmoving operations require the use of mechanical digging devices, such as front-end loaders. Such mechanical digging devices commonly feature buckets which can be manipulated by a user to dig into earth or rocks to be shifted. These buckets include a lip plate across the bucket floor. On this lip are mounted a series of ground engaging tools (GET) having a tooth-like appearance. These tools, in use, penetrate into the material being dug, and provide a leading edge for the bucket to follow.
Ground engaging tools (GET), for earth-moving equipment, such as those used in mining operations, operate in a highly abrasive environment and are subject to significant wear. GET such as bucket teeth thus require regular replacement.
Traditionally, GET are welded onto the lips of buckets. When the GET come to the end of their useful life, they can be cut from the bucket, and new GET welded in their place.
It will be appreciated that the cutting and re-welding operation is complex, time-consuming and relatively expensive. Further, it must generally be done in a workshop, requiring the earth-mover bucket to be transported away from the earth-moving equipment.
Various mechanical attachment methods have been proposed in an attempt to alleviate these problems. Many of the methods involve the use of bolts and similar fastening devices, inserted within the lip of the bucket. In general, such devices have proved to be of limited use. The insertion of a bolt or similar within a bucket lip can lead to undesirable stress concentrations within the lip, resulting in cracking of the bucket lip. Even where this is avoided, the large forces to which GET are exposed in use have a tendency to deform connecting bolts, thus making their subsequent extraction using mechanical tools difficult. Indeed, in some cases the deformation can be so severe that the GET must be cut away, completely negating any advantage of mechanical connection.
An object of the present invention is to provide a reusable means of mechanical attachment for ground engaging tools.